


Blut ist Liebe (Locked)

by MilkPlague



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Torture, Medical Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Tenth Class (Team Fortress 2), Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22103572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilkPlague/pseuds/MilkPlague
Summary: _______________________________Blut ist Liebe_______________________________The Horrible and Bloody Adventures of Tenth Classor--The Agonizing and Slow Burning recollections of Medical Romanceor--The Tales That Will Probably Give You Trauma and Anxiety.
Relationships: Medic (Team Fortress 2)/Original Female Character(s), RED Medic/Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. Ought to Be Sleepless

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [This Is Where We Are Now](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3990601) by [PurpleCompromise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleCompromise/pseuds/PurpleCompromise). 



She could still hear them.  
Even through each of her long, _heaving_ breaths, she could still hear them. She gripped her chest-- _hard_ \--holding her ribs tightly in her arms, listening to the resonating screams fill her head like helium. She wished they'd disappear, but even after a year, they never seemed to loose their blood-curdling effect.

She wiped the perspiration from her brow before drowsily, peeling the damp sheets from her sweat laden body and leaving the safe haven of her bed. Duffy stood _frozen_ \--square in the middle of her bedroom--the cold air scratching violently at her bare skin like tempered claws. She held her arms tighter against her heart with narrowed eyes, trying to escape the abhorred sensation of chilly air against her grubby body—the feeling unpleasant to her exhausted senses. 

Finding the strength to move, Duffy combed aside the greasy ginger leeches she called hair from her eyes and sat down at her desk, picking up the Administrator's contract while she did so.   
Duffy had received it less then a week ago, but that was all it had taken for her to decide she needed this job— _desperately_. No matter who she had sent a submission letter to, asked, or inquired with; they all turned her down in the end.

"Medically Unfit" or "Pending" the reply notes would always say. 

Duffy didn't just want this job. She _needed_ it. She could hardly stand to live with her mother any longer and endure the cold glares and sharp replies she'd gotten from the woman since the day she'd been picked up from intensive care. Ever since, it had made her feel nothing less then a parental disappointment. Duffy was a grown woman now, and though recovery still seemed far from arms reach, it was time she moved on. She needed to get back on her feet, and therefore, she needed to take this job. 

The thought made Duffy groan both tiredly and miserably as she reread the contract for about the dozenth time since the week had first begun. It was a very long and informative stack of papers of course. They provided her with the names of all the other team occupants that she'd be required to work with, as well as the job she was taking on and any further 'personal info' that came with it. One of the parts that Duffy found most interesting was the paragraph stating a very serious ground rule the Administrator had. 

'ALL Team Fortress members are required to go by their class identity. Insubordination will not be tolerated' The rule clearly stated. 

Duffy wasn't one to cause trouble so she was sure that even if getting used to this new identity would be strange, it wouldn't be hard. She reread this particular paragraph at least twice before she strung her fingers through her hair again and shut the contract within its orange shipping envelope, shoving it into the messenger; the same one she'd planned on hauling onto her flight to New Mexico.  
Speaking of that.

Duffy leaned back against her chair and glanced at the digital clock sitting on her night stand. The red numbers burned holes though the dark, but even behind its dusty casing she could clearly see that it read 5:23. It was time to go, she thought, getting up from her chair and stepping into the bathroom to shower. 

The paradise of sitting under the hot water only lasted about ten peaceful minutes before she hopped out again and was forced to stare her reflection dead in the eye from the edge of the sink. She hated that reflection. She hated it with every sane nerve in her body.   
It wasn't that Duffy was ugly, quite the opposite in fact, she had quite a few humbly pleasant features—it was more so because of that f*cking scar she had to look at every time she found herself in front of a mirror. 

A part of her knew that the scar wasn't particularly bad anymore. It even healed since the year prior and after the third facial surgery, it was practically lush against the rest of her face. After all that recovery time, the scar was left as nothing more then a patch of pink skin that stretched from beneath her left eye towards the tip of her ear, but despite this fact, Duffy still wasn't pleased to know that the mark would forever be stitched to her face like a constant reminder of everything she wished she could forget.

She ran a nimble finger over the patch with slit eyes, examining every geometric edge to it before she finally decided it was time to get dressed and head out. It was getting late now and Duffy knew she had to catch her flight on time. The Administrator's contract had been very strict on punctuality. 

Slipping on a black tank top, a pair of navy cargo pants, and her scuffed up TSR military boots, she left the bathroom and gathered her bags. Her luggage wasn't much. Just the messenger and a duffel filled with her clothes. 

She flung everything outside her bedroom and began to lug it towards the front door when the smell of fresh coffee lingering in the air had caught her off guard. She was no longer the only one awake.  
She paused, turning towards the dining table to see her mother sitting at it with a cup of coffee in one hand and the daily paper in the other. She didn't bother to look back up towards her daughter. 

" _Maidin mhaith_ " The woman mumbled, turning the page of 'The Herald' with another minuscule sip of her coffee. 

"Morning" Duffy softly replied, dropping her bags beside the front door before she grabbed an empty mug and filled it with the remainder of coffee from the pot. "You're up early"

"I wanted to see if it was true" Her mother spoke again; stare never leaving the paper's darkly inked words. 

"If what was true?"

"If you were really leavin' or not. I see I'm wrong though"

"You thought I was lying?" Duffy muttered offended, pouring a few ounces of whiskey into the steaming mug with a frown. 

"I thought you wouldn't leave."

"Why?"

" _Cruidín_." Her mother mumbled again, closing the paper and finally looking up towards Duffy. "I've been takin' care of you for an entire year, waitin' for someone in de' U.S. Force to finally pick ya back op' again. You think I was sold when you told me you'd gotten a job affer' from D.C?"

"No" Duffy slowly muttered, sipping a bit of the coffee again before turning to face the clock sitting above the stove. She shook her head after reading the time, setting the mug down—It was time to go. "I have ta' leave"

" _ceart go leor_ " Her mother responded, returning back to the newspaper. 

"I'll make you proud. I promise."

"I hope you do" The woman dryly responded, draining anything left of a smile from Duffy's face before she grabbed her bags and left without another word. 

This was going to be a very long year, Duffy grimaced. 


	2. Tuefort's Watchman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thx guys for all your kudos! It means a lot to me. Seriously! You have no idea how much they keep me going.

2Fort was like a massive jagged piece of abstract art sticking halfway in the hot desert sand. It's metal roofing deflected shockingly bright rays of sun through Miss Pauling's dust caked windshield, blinding Duffy as she attempted to get a good look of the structure, and in all honesty, it was actually a pretty miraculous sight. The fort seemed sturdy and unmovable; strong against any force of nature or man. It had tall metal walls and a vast length that stretched across the horizon like the corpse of an iron giant. It was definitely one of the more impressive constructions when compared to the rest of Tuefort, as in, the rest of the city 'Tuefort'. 

It obviously wasn't a very prosperous or popular place to visit despite how many sites of interest infested the area. Tuefort had all sorts of tourist attractions. The Alamo, a Renaissance festival, a carnival Miss Pauling says is haunted, and even a freaking Tom Jones museum. Regardless how oddly fascinating Tuefort seems, the city was bound to be a well kept secret since it's located halfway hidden between the sand dunes of New Mexico's unpleasant desert. 

"How are those papers coming along then?" Miss Pauling suddenly spoke, glancing over her glasses towards the woman sitting beside her, a smile gracing her sallow face. 

"Almost done with them" Duffy mumbled, trying to scribble in the word 'caliber' with the tip of the ball point pen that Miss Pauling had offered her before the trip began. It was a messy writing utensil and the ink would smear if you touched it too soon, so most of Duffy's words came out in deformed smudges that she'd have to rewrite in order for the language to be at least somewhat legible. "Just finishing up on weapons"

"Already? Looks like I'll be on schedule then for today." Miss Pauling smiled. "That's always a good thing in my book. _Efficiency_ , I mean."

"I try I guess" Duffy shrugged, offering a smile of her own before finally dotting the last period and shuffling the papers neatly together. "Is there anything else I should be worried about? Contract wise of course."

"Not anything I can think of" Miss Pauling replied, parking the car on the outskirts of the massive building with a confident sigh of relief. "All you need to worry about, Miss Walsh, is the part you play on this team. Know how to use a gun and you'll be able to stick around"

Duffy warily nodded, stepping out of the car with hesitant movement that led her beneath the burning sun. The air was scorching hot on this particular afternoon, sizzling her skin like a bad tan as small beads of sweat began to form at her brows.  
Duffy grimaced in dread---Pushing aside her irritable locks of long hair, she suddenly began to wish she'd taken the time to cut them before she'd left. There wasn't a feeling on this planet that even came close to the annoying sensation of damp hair sticking to your sweaty body. The thought alone made her frown in disgust, realizing that her procrastination would the death of her; _especially_ after this horrible transition into New Mexico's whopping 90 degree weather.

Duffy felt each heavy ginger lock of her own grow damp in the heat as they stuck closely against her bare shoulders. It was a disgusting itch, but no matter how many times she tried to push her hair back behind her ear, it always managed to fall over her shoulders again and glue tightly to the sweat laden across them. She cringed. 

"Unfortunately, due to my tight schedule this morning, Engineer will have to show you around and give you the low down of what you'll be doing here in 2Fort." Miss Pauling had spoken up just as she began to press the wrinkles from her purple dress. 

"S'fine with me" Duffy responded, taking a few long strands of her hair and weaving them into several small micro-braids in hopes to get them off her nerves. 

"Perfect! If you'll follow me" Miss Pauling added, leading Duffy purposefully through the gaping mouth of 2Fort with long, brisk strides that echoed softly each time her heel hit the cement floor. "Since this is your first day, you're going to be required to complete a few tasks before tomorrow. And I stress, _before tomorrow_ " She began, turning abruptly down a forking hall that led hastily into a massive room buzzing with mechanical excitement. There were all sorts of strange contraptions and mechanisms littering the space, buzzing and flashing with bright red metal. The sight reminded Duffy of the old gizmos you'd see on 'Star Trek'. 

"Engineer!" Miss Pauling beamed, making Duffy acutely known to the fact that they weren't the only inhabitants around. There towards the back of the room was a massive desk, and sitting in front of it was a broad shouldered man wearing a yellow hard-hat and an industrial glove over his dominant hand. He smiled when he saw them both, waving leisurely in there direction with the most southern greeting Duffy had ever heard. 

"Howdy Miss Pauling," He enthusiastically grinned. "and I assume your the new recruit. It's a pleasure. The name's Engineer, if it wasn't obvious You can just call me Engie if you'd like"

"Hi" Duffy nodded with a small wave. _Wow. Friendly much Duffs?_

"This is the Watchman actually" Miss Pauling quickly interrupted. "Our newly designated tenth class. I was actually hoping you could take a few minutes and introduce her to the rest of the team"

"Busy schedule?"

"The Administrator is expecting me back at HQ in less then 30 minutes with my report"

"I see" Engie nodded with a comforting smile. "It's no problem then. I'll show her around for ya"

"Thank you so much Engineer." Miss Pauling brightly smiled before turning to face Duffy with another confident grin. "Welcome to 2Fort Watchman. I have faith you'll do beyond expectations" 

"I hope so" Duffy warily smiled, trying hard to hide the uncertainty from her face.

* * *

After Miss Pauling had left 2Fort, Engineer made sure to give Duffy---otherwise known now as the Watchman---a very thorough and pleasant tour of RED's side. Even with 2Fort being cut directly in half between Redmond and Blutarch, Duffy found that one side alone was still large enough to take the mass of a gridiron field. It had everything from a gym room to a kitchen to a library, and just with these things alone Duffy knew she'd never get bored here. Especially from what Engie told her.

"We're always running on our toes here in 2Fort." He'd stated.

After the long trudge through the massive fortress, Duffy and Engie eventually stopped in front of a set of white double doors--the metal plaque above the frame reading "recreational room". 

_This is it. Behind these doors is the rest of the team_ , Duffy thought with a nervous swallow; her mouth entirely devoid of spit. Her hands began to feel clammy and her vertebrates tickled with a nervous sensation. She hoped her anxiousness wasn't readable on her expression. That alone would give her a bad rep among the other team mates if Duffy was scared enough with the idea of meeting new people. 

No. Maybe it wasn't really meeting new people but the fear of what new people would think of her upon meeting. Duffy knew she didn't really look the part anymore since the incident last year. The harsh experience had taken such a large toll on her physicality that she'd let herself go. Her muscles and fit appearance had disappeared long since then with that smug yet confident smirk she used to wear so well back in the day. Duffy missed it, but it was nothing a few hours in the gym couldn't fix. 

"You ready Watchman?" Engineer had suddenly spoken up, breaking Duffy from her long stare against the door. She mustered a small smile and nodded.

"Ready" She repeated just as Engie had stepped forward and pushed the doors open. Instantly, a whirling object was sent tumbling though the air beside Duffy's head, smashing against the wall behind her with a shrill crack. Duffy had almost screamed, but she barged down the attempt and took a step back to see what had been slung towards her. It was a bottle. Brown and ugly, it sat against the wall in a broken pile of tiny bits. She'd been so surprised to see what had almost wrecked her face that she hadn't even realized the curse word that slipped under her breath.

"DEMO!" Engineer howled, storming into the room with Duffy still behind, facing the broken bottle with massive eyes. "WHAT IN THE BLAZES YOU THROWIN' BOTTLES AROUND FOR? Ya almost hit the new recruit square in the mug!" He grunted, looking ready to slug the dark skinned Scottsman in the corner with another one of the XXX bottles he'd been holding.

"Aye' I didn't know!? Scout's a'lappin around the room tauntin' me. I was tryn' to hit 'im" He paused to lean beyond Engie's shoulder to see Duffy in the doorway. "Sorry lassie! Didn't mean no 'arm"

Duffy strung her fingers lazily through her hair, briefly saluting the man with a long, relieved sigh to have survived the event. "S'no problem" She choked, making her way further into the room. Upon realization, Duffy took note that there was in fact seven other men in the room with her, and she knew each one by name. 

Spy, Scout, Heavy, Sniper, Medic, Pyro, and Soldier. They seemed to have been previously occupied with a recreation of there own, but after the sudden outburst, there eyes followed Duffy. It made her uncomfortable, but she tried to remain as cool as possible as she swept quickly across the floor towards Engie. The stroll seemed to give her existence in the room some meaning. She hadn't been very sure of what else to do.

"Sorry about him" Engie mumbled towards Duff before sending the Demoman a narrow look behind his dark goggles. "Minus well get to introducing you" He quickly added before patting her firmly on the shoulder like a proud father congratulating his son. "Ya'll. I'd like ya to meet 2Fort's Watchman" He loudly announced, and all of a sudden, the room began to shrink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading mates. I'll see ya in the next chapter, and as always--  
> Mazel Tov!


	3. Special Greetings & Incisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, what's up? Thanks for droppin' by for a 3rd time. Hope you enjoy this chapter cause It's the last one that'll be without warnings. Hope you're ready for the trauma that's to come ahead. Anyways, MAZEL TOV~

Duffy felt her bones rattle at the sound of Engie's confidently smooth voice. The tone itself made her feel slightly undeserving. In fact, it wasn't just Engineer who made her doubt being here, but everyone else. Nobody _actually_ verbally stated this, but their looks felt judgment enough to her ego, _(at least whatever was left of it)_. She could feel their hard stares boring holes through her head, leaving her to shrink at Engie's side like a sheepish animal too afraid to be seen. Duffy hoped she wasn't _literally_ shrinking against him, but she wished she could of. 

Each one of the men looked intimidating in there own unique behavior--may it have been in mystery, injury, or posture--they all seemed capable of snapping Duffy in two equal pieces. She hoped they wouldn't; at least, she couldn't understand why they would. Maybe she was just overthinking.

 _Don't think too much Duff. You deserve to be here_ , she thought, straightening out her body into a more graceful stance, hoping it would make her appear more relaxed then she let on to be.

After Engie's short and sweet introduction, Scout had been the first to initiate a conversation with her. He seemed the kind of guy to break the ice in scenarios like this.

"What's up red head" He fearlessly smiled, strutting toward Duffy with an open hand for her to take. "The name's Scout, not that I have ta' introduce myself of course. I'm sure ya knew that since I'm kinda a big deal around here" He laughed just as Duffy apprehensively took his taped up hand and gave it a half-hearted shake. She could tell she wasn't going to like this kid very much. It wasn't that he seemed unpleasant, more so because he seemed a bit too cocky for his own good.

'High and Mighty' Duffy liked to call it.

"Pleasure" She tiredly smiled.

"Oh! Ya gotta accent there, huh? You Scotts like Demo?"

"Irish" Duffy shortly added, pulling her hand out of his just when someone had scooped her into a very sudden and tight bear hug. Duffy squeaked, turning her head over her shoulder to stare into the two circular black voids that served as the Pyro's 'eyes'. It was like looking down a soulless pit--the gas mask making him appear as if he had the face of an emotionless demon, yet, his demeanor saying otherwise. Though the Pyro was more of a dark mystery then the Spy could ever live to be, he acted surprisingly friendly despite his gruesome nature on the battlefield.

Scooting her dominant arm free, Duffy made sure to give him a gentle pat on the arm, breathing him a small hello before he set her down again. 

"Mmph mmph mmmph" Pyro mumbled, making a few strange fingering gestures through the air that Duffy quickly interpreted as sign language. Either way, she didn't know the art of unspoken words so his attempts at communication seemed futile. 

"Sorry Lad, I don't speak hands" Duffy awkwardly shrugged, watching as Pyro paused to point at Engie before tapping a thumbs up into his open palm. 

"He says Hello" The Engineer quickly explained with a smile. Duffy nodded, thankful for his translation before turning to face Pyro again with a similar expression. 

"Hello Pyro"

"Mmph Mmph!" He added with small wave.

"WATCHMAN!" A cacophonous voice suddenly shouted, the tone resonating against the walls like distorted echoes. Duffy jumped at the sound, quickly turning to meet sight of a tall, muscular man dawning a very large military helmet that covered the place his eyes should have been. He saluted her with a stick straight back, slamming his boot to the ground as they usually did in the army. She would know. "IT'S A PLEASURE!" He loudly added.

"Soldier" Duffy calmly greeted, still hearing his boisterous voice ringing irritably in her ears. 

"I LOOK FORWARD TO SPILLING GUTS AND BLOOD ON THE BATTLEFIELD WITH YOU"

"Thank...you?"

"Not to be a nuisance, but ya'll better hurry your greetings. Me and Watchman have some stuff to get done before tomorrow's fight"

"Aye lass. Ya don't want 'er sprawling the ground, cooked. Best get the modification done before dinner" The Demoman smiled before heartily slapping Duffy in the spine causing her to choke on a startled cough--vertebraes shuddering in a pain.

"Ok" She achingly wheezed, rubbing her back with winced eyes, watching as the Spy apparated into thin air. Duffy stared at the space he used to stand, blinking--once, twice--yes, she was sure that it had actually happened. It wasn't strange to have occurred though; just unusual to witness. Duffy had read quite an extensive paragraph in the Administrator's contract earlier in the week about the technology Spies had access to. Machines that could enable them entirely invisible or appear as another person. It was a science she was definitely curious to look into, but now that she noticed it, the Medic and Sniper seemed to have disappeared from the room as well. Not in the same sense as the Spy of course, but still, she assumed they had better things to do then waste daylight. Perhaps formal greetings could wait until later.

"Heavy is pleased to meet you _Vatchman_ " The brawniest team member had suddenly told her, his voice bold yet gentle and thick with a fluent Russian accent that shook her from her day dreams. Letting the tone sit loosely in the air, Duffy realized it was surprisingly nostalgic.

"Good ta' meet you too Heavy" Duffy smiled, bowing slightly to greet him before she shoved her hands deep into her pockets and swayed a little at her feet.

"Well, with that out of the way, we best get ya back to engineerin' so I can measure ya up" Engie announced before patting her firmly on the shoulder again. "Don't worry, you'll be able to meet Medic after that since I'll be sendin' ya to his office anyways" He added, leading her from the recreational room just before she'd sent the remainder of the team a brisk goodbye.

* * *

The walk back to the engineering room seemed longer then before, but once they'd gotten there, Engie didn't waste any time getting back to work. Retrieving a tape ruler from his desk, he instructed Duffy to sit on his work bench and wait as he began to thoroughly measure her spine up and down--length and width. It didn't take very long of course, but for whatever time it did last, he made sure to be very brief as he recorded each number down onto a little notepad beside him.   
Once he had made the last mark, Engie ripped the page from the notepad and handed it to Duffy with a broad, comforting grin; the kind someone might use to cheer a sad person up. Duffy wasn't sad, but it still gave her a sense of happiness. "Any questions?" He asked her before placing the measuring tape back on his work table. 

"Just one. What exactly is the modification?"

"Oh! Well see I'm a bit rusty at explainin' the whole medical part about that. Medic could probably tell ya better then I can, but from what I do know, its a small machine that'll be able to register ya into the respawn system. Ya probably read about it in the contract"

"I did" Duffy nodded, recalling the cursory paragraph explaining the dynamics of the respawn system installed into 2Fort. From what morsels Duffy could gather and understand from the contract, it was a sort of life saving system that you could hypothetically be "plugged into". No matter how harsh or devastating an injury would be, the respawn would always be able to fix you . 

"Great! All ya have ta' do then is just make sure to hand Medic these notes before he examines you. He'll need it" Engie hummed as he sat back down at his desk and sent her a silent nod of departure before he buried himself in his work again. Duffy nodded back to him with a thankful smile, not bothering to verbalize it before she left the Engineering room and began to make her way to the med bay.

Though Duffy had already passed the med bay once and each step was like memory, the walk felt strangely threatened; like she wasn't treading by her own will, but by another's. Of course this opposing entity was herself, but she couldn't help but wish it hadn't been. One by one she took, each step feeling more strained then the last. She knew she remembered the way, but the question was, did she want to? Duffy paused to internally answer that herself.

Despite Duffy's age, there was still this lingering sense of dread that would infest her chest every time she was forced to return to a doctor, but she was an adult now and she was going to march in their like the grown-ass woman she was and politely introduce herself to the Medic.

Duffy nodded to herself, staring miserably against the massive doors set out before her. She didn't want to open them, but she had to, and that thought alone made it feel like she was taking an inescapable trip to hell. Her body began to feel very sluggish and stubborn, refusing to go any farther. She shook her head.   
Taking in a lengthy breath and hoping that would be enough to collect herself, Duffy stepped forward and pushed open the gates of the medical underworld.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey thanks for readin' mates. And as always--  
> MAZEL TOV~
> 
> (by the way, the next chapter is gonna yeet you into hell. Just sayin'.)


	4. An Inescapable Trip to Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Blood, Surgery, & Unpleasant Medical Behavior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey, hey, welcome back! Just some warnings to look for in this chapter. And as always--  
> MAZEL TOV!

The pungent smell of sterile air and blood greeted Duffy first, Medic second. He stood far back in the white room beside the sink, washing off the blood from his hands before he turned to greet her with a smile—if that's what you'd call it. The expression was neither friendly nor welcoming, in fact, it was almost...devious. Duffy felt her chest burn with hesitance, finding it harder to step any further into the room when the Medic smiled like a villain. Though, he didn't really look like one.

He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with neatly combed black hair and a pair of small spectacles placed on the bridge of his nose. His face was long with sharp angles and defined cheekbones and he walked across the room with an elegant stride; his white doctor's coat swaying behind him like a cape. 

"Ah! V'atchman! I've been expecting you, please, have a seat on zhe gurney" He spoke, drying his hands on a nearby blood-stained towel before pulling his red gloves back over his hands. Duffy rubbed her arms awkwardly. She couldn't help but feel sick, swaying gently at her heels as she stared at the flat-lying chair fixated in the center of the room. Was it just her, or was the room getting drastically colder? 

"Is z'ere a problem V'atchman?" The Medic asked as he looked towards her with a raised brow of curiosity. "You look sick. _Gut_ s'ing you're already here v'ith me zhen" He added with a smile before gesturing Duffy to have a seat on the gurney again. "Do not fret. Zhe examination will not last long"

Duffy inadvertently nodded in understanding, forcing herself to sit down on the cushioned bed with great coercion. Once she had, Medic returned to the sink's cupboard and began to gather a few undecipherable bottles filled with liquid, allowing Duffy to really examine the medical bay now. 

It was a relatively large alcove and appeared to have the functions of five separate hospital departments. There were three neatly made recovery beds pushed against the wall, each one with an empty IV rack placed beside it. Close to the sink was a door that led to an office; _his_ office, and beside that door, two shelves full of medicine and medical tools. Speaking of those demonic things, just as Duffy turned to face the Medic she noticed a kart beside her decorated with all sorts of sharp, silver surgical supplies. A chill ran up her rib cage and she suddenly felt herself shrink against the back of the chair. Probe, dressing forceps, kelly-straight scissors, scalpel, bone-saw—she named them one by one, and each time she did she felt her blood drop down a degree. Maybe the room really was getting colder.

"For zhis procedure, I'll need you to lie down on your stomach if you will" Medic instructed her enthusiastically before setting the bottles down on the kart. Duffy nodded her head again, slightly more wary this time before she lifted her legs onto the cushion and turned over onto her stomach; resting her head against her folded arms with her eyes shut. She thought it might be better this way if she wasn't watching the Medic work. If this _was_ going to be an invasive procedure, she didn't want to know. "You have very long hair, should I mention" The Medic blatantly told her, followed by the quiet clinking of metal tools. "Vould you move it aside please?"

Duffy didn't speak. She simply slipped one of her arms out from beneath her head and brushed aside the loose locks of hair before returning to her original pose. Oh yes, it was _definitely_ getting colder.

With a soft hum of acknowledgment, the Medic returned to assembling his tools in order with an ecstatic grin. He filled a few of his syringes and straightened out his surgical supplies in a neat pattern before tearing open an unnamed paper package. It had to be a sterilizing sheet.

Duffy could smell its strong aromatic fumes fill the air, followed by the sudden sensation of something cold and wet being placed to the back of her neck. She flinched, followed by what sounded like an irritated sigh from the Medic as the sheet's brushing movements paused. "Please try not to jolt V'atchman. It v'ill interrupt our progress" He mumbled before crumbling up the sterile sheet and throwing it onto the kart with a short sigh. "Did the Engineer give you ze spinal measurements?"

"Yes." Duffy softly breathed, pulling them out of her pocket and blindly handing it to him. The paper was quickly slipped out from her fingers and unfolded, followed by Medic mumbling a few cryptic numbers under his breath.

"Your spine is surprisingly long. How tall are you V'atchman?"

"5'5 last time I checked"

"Shorter zhen you look I suppose. Your only _eins_ inch shorter zhen our Engineer" He added before refolding the paper and placing it back with the rest of his supplies.

More chiming clicks of the metallic tools followed as Duffy wished she had the mental strength to peek her eye open and see what he was up to. She couldn't. It was only a matter of time before her chest would begin to hurt with worry. "I'm going to inject you v'ith a local anesthesia now. Don't move" Medic casually told her before placing a heavy hand to the base of her neck, rendering her head immobile as he stuck the needle to her skin. Duffy clenched her teeth, feeling the syringe slide into her muscle and dispose of its cold contents within her bloodstream, but with Medic's hand pressed firmly to her collar, it made it hard for her to find comfort in the situation. 

"Medic?"

" _Ja?_ "

"How long will the procedure take?"

"Thirty minutes if all goes v'ell" He avidly informed her before pulling the needle from her skin and placing it aside on the kart. "Places to be V'atchman?"

"Just nervous I guess"

"Understandable. I _am_ about to perform a very critical and life-threatening procedure on you. You minus v'ell be nervous"

"I'm sorry, what!?" Duffy suddenly croaked, her voice strained and buzzy, drugged heavily with the anesthesia. 

"Oh, did zhe Engineer not inform you properly on the procedure?" The Medic surmised, watching as Duffy finally opened her eyes to look at him—her face filled with something a little deeper than fear. "I am required to install zhe respawn detector against the cervical section of your spinal cord. Like an exoskeleton on your bone! This is a very critical modification V'atchman. V'ithout it, you would simply perish on zhe battlefield" He leisurely informed her before straitening out the wrinkles from his coat, the fabric pulling over his sharp shoulders. "Don't v'orry though! I am a man of my profession. I refuse to let you die on _my_ table" He grinned, taking and holding the scalpel beside his face. Duffy didn't look convinced, but she could hardly say anything about it. She was already drugged and her vocal cords were too weak to work any longer so she shut her eyes tightly and attempted to stay calm as the Medic began his work.

She felt his fingers delicately dance against the skin on her neck, slowly sliding down her back beneath her shirt where she wasn't as numb. His rubber gloves were surprisingly cold, causing Duffy to gently shiver under his careful touch as he continued to examine her vertebral columns. "Such a thin spine, _ja_?" He mumbled to himself before leaning over and grabbing a pair of prying scissors from the kart. 

Duffy felt herself grow sicker by the minute as she listened to the soft sounds Medic created whilst working. The shuffling of his boots on the tile, the clinking of the medical supplies, his soft, incoherent mutters. Surprisingly enough though the noise was more comforting than annoying. It was like listening to a relaxing ambiance lulling her as she waited anxiously for what was about to come next.

"I'm going to begin zhe incision now, V'atchman, but if you happen to experience any sudden shocks, jolts, and/or loss of heartbeat from zhe procedure, please inform me. Any damage to your cervical plexus nerves will cause you to go brain dead v'ithin ten seconds" Medic coolly advised, causing a thunderous pound to strike Duffy hard in the chest; harder than a bat. She was getting nervous; _very_ nervous. Her chest fell and rose excitedly, and she suddenly felt deprived of air.

It was getting colder again, wasn't it? She needed a distraction; something to set her mind aside from Medic's work, but It was no use.

She felt Medic force her chest to the table, hand pressed hard against her back as he picked up his scalpel and began to create the incision down her spine. It wasn't painful, just uncomfortable. Duffy felt him drag the slender piece of metal against her skin, stopping just below the shoulder blades before he paused to retrieve something off the kart. 

"Heartbeat still going?" Medic asked before taking the pair of kelly-straights from the table and bringing them to the incision. Duffy loudly tapped her fingers against the cushion, giving him a small thumbs-up as if to reply 'dear God, I should hope so'.

" _Gut_!" He smiled. "I was worried you v'ere going into hyper shock, but anyv'ays, I suppose you would appreciate it if I kept you occupied, _ja_?"

"It would help" Duffy admitted.

" _Wunderbar!_ Then tell me V'atchman, do you like birds?"

"w- _what_?" Duffy mumbled, her voice barely a breath. It was a strange question and surprisingly out of place when compared to the devious atmosphere Medic gave off. Why would he care about birds and whether she liked them or not? 

"I have a few doves of my own actually" Medic cheerfully began, his tone making it painfully aware to her that ripping into someone's spine wasn't out of the ordinary for him. "His name is Archimedes. He's an undignified creature but I enjoy his companionship either v'ay. In fact, if you open your eyes, you might see him fly around" the Medic told her before pushing in a few dozen pins along her spine.

"Ow"

" _Bitte,_ V'atchman. Like I said before, thin spine" He apologized.

Duffy was about to reply, but the sound of something fluttering nearby caught her entirely off guard. Originally, she'd thought the sound came from a machine, but Medic's current explanation of owning doves seemed more logical. She opened her eyes to look.

Blood. That's all she could see. Duffy gasped and the Medic looked down at her puzzledly, eyebrows raised in vague amusement. "Problem, V'atchman?"

"Yeah, what the hell!?" She cracked, realizing the crimson liquid was gushing from the incision along her neck, pooling at her sides and staining her shirt and skin. A curse suddenly slipped under her strained breath and she realized the Medic was covered in blood; _her_ blood.

Splatters soiled his white doctor's coat and puddles dripped from the tips of his fingers; he even had a few dots splayed on his cheek. 

Duffy felt sick all over again, and the Medic must have noticed because all he did was smile. 

"It looks worse zhen it is, trust me" He laughed, leaving Duffy unsure of what exactly to do. He seemed so casual, almost gleeful as he worked; not even caring that he was essentially dirtied with the Watchman's own blood.

Duffy blinked her eyes with repetition, attempting to stay calm but her heart drummed too loudly in her ears for her to breathe. A dreadful sense of dizziness clouded her head, and her back became hot with anticipation. She wanted to run—to attack him, but why? The Medic wasn't particularly hurting her, so why did she feel such a strong sense to defend herself. It was the nightmares, wasn't it?

Attempting to divert her focus elsewhere, Duffy strained her eyes to catch sight of a white fluffy creature hopping around the window sill across the room. It was Archimedes, his dove. The creature looked elegant as it danced about, taking up in a small flutter every once in a while only to land back down. 

"Funny, isn't he?" Medic spoke before grabbing a small spool of elastic off the kart. "He's a strange bird, I must admit. Not quite like most doves. He's a bit more violent, this one"

Duffy didn't say anything; just nodded. For some strange reason, she couldn't help but find a mild sense of distraction in watching Archimedes. "I v'ould let you hold him right now, but unfortunately, zhat bird has a disgusting habit of making nests in open wounds. Perhaps later" The doctor humorously added, but Duffy didn't respond. She stayed silent, watching the small creature view their owner as they literally butchered Duffy's spinal cord. She wondered for the moment what the bird thought was happening. Were birds even intelligent enough to comprehend what humans did half the time?

The Medic swore loudly, suddenly dropping a few tools to the floor and scaring the daylights from Duffy as she suddenly turned her head to watch him snatch certain things off the kart, muttering the same curse word over and over to himself.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't speak." He snapped, frantically leafing through several liquid drugs he had sitting on the kart. Duffy didn't understand what was happening, but all at once, a sharp pain struck her hard in the throat and her head was sent spinning. She felt her stomach convulse into knots, draining her face entirely of color as her shoulders grew limp, unable to support her weight. 

" _Gottverdammt_ " The Medic mumbled, watching as Duffy's head fell face down into the cushion like someone had just switched her off. "We're going to need to fix zhat V'atchman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. It was a nerve wreck trying to get it to my expectations.
> 
> I was mostly worried with Medic's accent and his first appearance in the book.  
> I hope his Teutonic accent was written well too because I did a hell of a lot of research to see how people normally write a German accent and I'm still confused whether or not I over did it. Hopefully not, but if you think I should double back with the accent, plz let me know, lol! I'm personally not sure how thick the Medic's accent is, so I might come back to this later and make it sound more simple. 
> 
> Anywho, I didn't get a lot of time to edit this chapter either but it DID go through a lot of crazy and nerve breaking changes, so I hope it all came together like you guys (and I) hoped it would! Thx so much loves--  
> Mazel Tov~


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